Talk of a new Starke County Jail has surfaced again. The three Starke County Commissioners talked about visiting other county jails in Marshall, Fulton and Brown Counties to look at the configuration of the buildings.
The announcement of the fact that they would be touring these buildings was made during the June 16th meeting to discuss the Class Action Law Suit brought against the County by Jack Haut, a Starke County Inmate.
The 2011 North Judson Mint Festival is history, but before we close the book on this years exciting three day event, Ted Hayes visited with all of the dignitaries in this year’s festival.
Bino Bau was the Grand Marshall of this Year’s Parade. Continue reading
A resounding “no” was given to Knox Mayor Rick Chambers when he asked the City Council members last week if they would be interested in selling the Sandy Acres Park. Chambers said that he had been approached about selling the property. Although not announcing who had approached him, it was assumed to be a business person wanting to locate, or re-locate on Heaton Street.
It was noted that in the Five Year Park Plan that there is not have enough park space. Recently, the Park Board has spruced up Sandy Acres and it has been used more according to Park Superintendent, George Byer.
The North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation will participate in the USDA Summer Food Service program. Meals will be provided to all children without charge who are 18 and younger.
Meals will be served in the North Judson-San Pierre Elementary School. Breakfast will be served from 7:45-8:15 a.m. and lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CT. Adults may eat lunch at the Elementary School for a charge of $2.00.
The North Judson Town Board members discussed pool fills at their recent meeting. The Board approved the action of pool fills but an ordinance will be constructed to outline the fees. The Board approved the fee of $.03 a gallon for water and $.80 a mile for fuel. A credit card will also need to be provided to ensure payment. A bill will not be sent.
Taylor Quella, a Knox High School incoming Senior, is in Zionsville this week participating in the Miss Indiana Outstanding Teen competition. Taylor is the daughter of Kathy and Pete Quella.
Ted Hayes talked with Taylor before she leaves for the competition. He asked her what she has been doing to get ready since early November when she was selected Queen of the local pageant.
“I’ve had mock interviews, I have gotten my wardrobe all ready and I have gotten my nails done and I’m just preparing every day,” said Quella. “Wednesday, we go down there for good until around Saturday. We have rehearsals every day until the final competition on Friday.”
The Knox Community Elementary School is still collecting box tops and Campbell’s UPC labels and PTO President, Shelly Kemble, says if you have any labels to turn in, you need to get them in this week.
“The collection of Box Tops from the 2010-2011 school year totals a little over $4,000,” said Kemble. “You may drop off any box tops at the Knox Community Elementary School Main Office at door number 1 until June 22nd. We will start back up with the drop off after the 2011 school year begins in August.”
The Arrow Head Country RC&D Forestry Committee and Forester Bruce Wakeland invite you to the Country Kettle in Knox, tomorrow, to discuss issues you may be having in your woodland areas. The event will be tomorrow, June 21st, from 7:00-8:30 a.m. CT.
Wakeland and representatives from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Purdue, Consulting, and Industry Foresters will be available for conversation and questions.
WKVI is announcing plans for its fall motorcoach tour to Branson. See the beautiful Ozark Hills burst into Fall colors. Listen to WKVI throughout the day for Ed Hasnerl with the details.
The four-day, three-night trip inclues shows in which you’ll see Andy Williams and Ann-Margaret at Andy’s “Moon River” Theatre, and the Oak Ridge Boys as they celebrate their 30th Anniversary of their hit, “Elvira!”.
You’ll enjoy a dinner and show cruise on the crystal clear waters of Table Rock Lake while on the Showboat Branson Belle and you’ll spend a morning at the “National Harvest Festival” in Silver Dollar City plus much, much more.
Call (574) 772-6241 and Ed will send you all the information in the mail.
Here’s just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:
The Starke County Relay for Life event was held over the weekend and over $60,000 was raised. Team Imagine raised $8,000 and they were announced as the winners of the team collection event. Continue reading
Twelve members of the Philanthropic Educational Organization Chapter B in Knox and North Judson recently traveled to Indianapolis to attend the State P.E.O. Convention held at the Wyndham West Hotel and Convention Center.
Chapter B hosted the Golden Girl Luncheon honoring 34 women who have been members for 50 years. Approximately 570 members and guests attended the luncheon with Chapter B providing the decorations, programs, entertainment and biographies of the Golden Girls. All 144 chapters in Indiana, representing 5,642 members, sent delegates and guests to the convention.
The Starke County Commissioners met yesterday to discuss the Class Action Suit brought against the County by inmate Jack Haut. Because the suit is not covered by insurance, the County must come up with the money for legal expenses. County Attorney, Marty Lucas, advised the Commissioners that it will cost a minimum of $100,000 in attorney fees. And he said don’t expect a quick resolution.
Haut, in his suit, is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief because of the conditions at the Starke County Jail. One part of the suit is the claim that the jail is consistently overcrowded.
A week after a Parkview Heights woman reported an attempted abduction of a child, Knox City Police still are investigating. Officer Harold Smith said yesterday that they have few leads outside of those given by the woman.
The incident was reported to have occurred Thursday afternoon, June 9th. At that time, the woman said a man entered her fenced-in backyard and attempted to grab her one-year-old toddler. Amber Howard said the possible abduction began with the man knocking her seven-year-old daughter off of a swing and onto the ground.
Four individuals in relation to the animal fighting contest that took place in February appeared before Judge Kim Hall in the Starke Circuit Court Wednesday morning with defense attorney Douglas Shaw. Gilberto Narravo, Salvador Reyes, Juan Carlos Rodriguez, and Arnoldo Perez were present with their spouses, who agreed to act as translators from English to Spanish and vice versa. The four men are charged with counts of Attending an Animal Fighting Contest, a Class D Felony.
In the state of Indiana, 800,000 Hoosiers a month rely on food stamps, including thousands in our listening audience. Yesterday it was announced that the Hoosier Food Stamp program has earned a $1.65 million dollar bonus from the Federal Government. Indiana’s 7.13% error rate in 2009 dropped to 2.6% in 2010. The national rate is 3.8%
Even though record numbers of Americans are relying on food stamps to make it through the recession, Indiana’s accuracy rate dramatically improved. Without better accuracy, the program would have paid $311 million too much and denied $45 million.
The food stamp program is the nation’s largest assistance program.
Starke Circuit Court Magistrate, Jeanene Calabrese sentenced Christina Orange yesterday. Orange was charged with Dealing in Methamphetamine, Assisting a Criminal, Possession of Chemical Reagents or Precursors with Intent to Manufacture, Possession of Methamphetamine, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, and Dumping Controlled Substance Waste.
The West Central School Board had to reduce the teaching staff by two-and-a-half teachers and three to five instructional assistants were let go. The school lost 54% of its primetime funding, or about $40,000, that provides for the salary of the instructional assistants.
David Scarberry and Rose Martin, along with their attorney Richard Ballard, appeared in court Thursday in relation to methamphetamine charges, and requested a motion to suppress. Martin and Scarberry testified that they didn’t explicitly give officers permission to search the bedroom they rented from Amy Ahlenius.
The North Judson Mint Festival begins today! Music from Narrow House will open the Festival at 5:00 p.m. at Norwayne Field and the carnival and food booths will be opening around that time. The Mint Idol Contest will be at 6:00 p.m. at the St. Peter Lutheran School and the Father and Grandfather of the Year recipients will be announced at 7:00 p.m. in Norwayne Field.
The North Judson-Wayne Township Fire Department will be burning down the old Blue Bird Inn in North Judson in a training exercise on June 26th.
The North Judson Town Board has been after the owner to clean up the property at 523 Lane Street, which he has not done, and recently, the owner was late in paying $1,343.30 in inspection fees to the town. The bank, who now owns the property, gave permission to the fire department to burn down the property in a training exercise.
